Adjustable chair



(No Model.)

J. P. MGFADDEN.

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

No. 364,273. y Patented June 7, 1887.

Hi/01H55@ N. PETERS Hwllilhnlmpbwn Wullingon. DA C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. MOFADDEN, OF EVANSVILLE, VISCONSIN.

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,273, dated June 7,1887.

Application filed May 22, i886. Serial No. 202.969. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs F. MCFADDEN, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Evansville, Rock eou11ty,Viseonsisn, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Adjustable Chairs, of which the followingis a specification.

In the drawings, Figure lis a perspective of my improved adjustablechair, with the footrest elevated and extended and the back inclined.Fig. 2 is a front view of a section taken through the line u u of Fig.l. Fig. 3 is a soctional side view looking from theinside, taken throughthe line :u of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front view of a section taken throughline o o of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same portion of thechair. Fig. Gis a side elevation of the footrest, looking from theinside; and Fig. 7 is a front view of the same taken in line yy of Fig.6.

A is the main frame-work of the chair; B, the back; C, the foot-rest; D,an extension to the foot-rest; E, the arms; F, alever extending up bythe side of the chair; G, bars extending' from the front to the rearlegs of the chair at each side and provided with ratchet-teeth; H, anarm-support pivoted to the front ends of the arms and extending down toabout the bar G; I, a bar pivoted to the rear end of the armsupport Hand extending back to the lever F; J, a dog or pawl adapted to engagethe ratchetteeth in the bar G; K, ratcheted bars supporting thefoot-rest; L, a rod extending across the chair from one bar I to theother,and on which vthe ratchets J are mounted; M, a spring for holdingthe ratchets in engagement; N, brackets or supports with which theratcheted bars K engage, and O hooks or loops on t-he bars. I to embracethe bars G.

In making my improved adjustable chair I' arm-rests to the back frame ata proper height and extend them forward. the usual distance.

Pivoted to these arm-rests at a short'distanee from their front endsarearm-supports H, which extend downward, andare pivoted again to theuppersideframes of the chair and extend down below them, and preferablyjust behind the front legs of the chair, as shown in Fig. 1. I bolt orotherwise securely fasten two ratcheted bars,G, to the front and rearlegs of the chair, one at each side. These bars G are provided withratchetteeth, as shown in Fig. l. ally connected to thedownwardly-extending ends of the arm supports are supplemental oradditional bars I,which pass back immediately above the toothed bars Gto a point, say, halfway between the front and rearlegs of the chairwhen in areclining position, as shown in Fig. l. The rear ends of thesebars I terminate in downward hooks, bends, or loops, which pass aroundor partially around and embrace the bars G, so as to be held in theirproper relative positions and to be moved back and forth along the barsG. Immediately on the inside of these bars I, and atl their rear endsand pivoted thereto,l are arranged pawls or dogs adapted to engage withthe ratchet-teeth of the bars G. A rod, L, extends across from one sideof the chair to the other, passing` through these pawls or dogs,and towhich they are rigidly connected, and through the ends of the bars I.The rod L is permitted to freely turn in the holes in the ends of therods I. Vhile in turning it raises or lifts the dogs J out of engagementwith the teeth in bars G.

.To operate this rod and to throw the dogs ont of engagement atpleasure, so as to adjust the position of the chair, a lever, F,terminating in a suitable handle, extends up to within easy reach of theoccupant of the chair, so that by moving it back h e can throw the pawlsout of engagement and adjust the position of the chair. thus lifted out,a spring, M, (shown in Fig. 3,) is provided. Any spring or weightserving the purpose of holding thc dogs in engagement will answer.

To adjust the footrest, which is pivoted to the front of thechair-frame, I have two toothed bars or rods, K, pivoted to the same andeX- tendng back under the seat of the chair. To the front legs of thechair I preferably, by the same bolts which attach the front ends of theTo hold thedogs in engagement until f IOO bars G to the front legs ofthe chair, secure brackets N. (Shown more particularly in Fig. 4 of thedrawings.) These brackets extend upward, and are preferably providedwith a cross-rod against which the teeth of the bars K engage. Vhen itis desired to raise the foot-rest to any position, it may be lifted upfreely, the teeth of the bars K sliding over the rods in the brackets N,while these teeth engage with such rods when the footrest is presseddown and prevent it from falling back into its first position. To lowerthe foot-rest, the bars K should be lifted enough to permit their teethto pass back out of engagement with the brackets N. Tostill furtherafford a support for the feet, an extension, D, is provided in thefootrest, which may be pulled out,as shown in Fig. l, or slid back intoposilion when the foot-rest is lowered. This extension may be given suchdegree of friction or tightness that it will remain in place, exceptwhen voluntarily pulled out for use. This is preferably effected bymeans ofa spring (not shown) which holds the extension in the positionto which it has been drawn out, or from coming out voluntarily afterbeing slid back into place.

I have represented my improved chair in plain skeleton forni in thedrawings. It may be 1nade,however in upholstery and with any degree offinish and elegance desired. It may be made plain where a cheap andeconomical chair is preferred, or it may be made with such richness ofmaterial and iinishings as will suit the taste of more wealthy andfastidious customers, and, so far as my invention is concerned, of anykind of wood or metal desired. In either case, however, I secure theadjustment of the parts to the various angles and degrees of inclinationdesired by means substantially as I have above described in detail.

I am aware of the construction shown in the patent to Siebold, ofSeptember 10, 1872, and of the construction shown in the patent toI-Iorton, of September 26, 1876, and I do not claim such construction 5but in neither of these patents are there shown or described toothedbars connect-ing the front andrear legs of the chair, nor the simplemeans, in connection with such bars, for adjusting' the angles andpositions of the chair.

Vhat I regard as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

In an adjustable chair, the combination of main frame, pi voted backpieees,pivoted arms, pivoted arm supports, ratchet toothed barsconnecting the front and rear legs, supplementary or additional barspivoted at their front ends to the extended ends of the armsupports,pawls pivotally connected with the rear ends of the supplementarybars,and means for throwing such pawls out of engagement, substantiallyas described.

JAMES F. MCFADDEN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE C. Cook, FRANK. L. DOUGLAS.

